Digital Commons Network^™

Contrasting Disparities Between Desi Populations And The Michigan Healthcare System In The Metro Detroit Atrea, Ramin Areeb

McNair Scholars Research Journal

This study investigated the healthcare disparities experienced by the Desi population (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali, etc.), ages 18 and higher, in the Metro Detroit area. Despite the ever-growing population of South Asian communities in the United States, research on their interactions with Michigan healthcare remained very limited. The lack of consistent reports, population-specific studies, and overall popularity of the discussion proves this. Using a survey-based methodology, this study collected accounts from participants regarding their healthcare experiences, perceived inequities, and barriers to accessing high-quality medical services. The data then underwent a thematic review to identify recurring patterns, including issues …

Front Materials

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

High Densities Of Large Herbivores Rapidly Disrupt Ecosystem Integrity, Jennifer A Krumins

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Human-induced high densities of large wild herbivores may pose a threat to natural ecosystems, modifying biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Although the negative impacts on individual taxa and processes are well documented, a comprehensive understanding of how ecosystem integrity responds to high herbivore densities remains limited. This study addresses this gap through an extensive herbivore-density manipulation experiment conducted in two Mediterranean woodlands. We established two scenarios of high red deer (Cervus elaphus) density, representative of some protected areas (similar to 30 individuals.km(2)) and intensively managed hunting estates (similar to 90 individuals.km(2)). We monitored 38 metrics encompassing a broad spectrum of biodiversity …

Intouch Week Of June 22, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Sixth Annual NYMC Golf Tournament Drives Support for Future Health Care Leaders
• Center for Disaster Medicine Receives NYS Funding
• Dean’s Faculty Awards Recognize Excellence in Teaching, Mentoring, and Service
• Football Associated with Nearly One in Five Brain Injuries in Youth Sports
• Touro College of Dental Medicine Hosts Its Ninth Annual Golf, Tennis and Mahjong Event
• Alumni Spotlight: Sumaita Mahmood, M.D./M.P.H. ’26, Receives National Public Health Award

Advancing Data Usability, Activity Modeling, And Stability Optimization In Computational Enzyme Design, Spencer Gardiner

Theses and Dissertations

A grand challenge of computational biology is to computationally design, in a single pass, a protein sequence that catalyzes an arbitrary chemical reaction at a high rate under specified conditions [1]. This work details advances in three essential areas on the path to that goal: data quality, activity prediction and modeling, and stability optimization. The structure and implementation of the Allotrope Simple Model (a FAIR data format for many scientific instruments) was examined in [2], setting the stage for training deep learning models on high-quality experimental datasets from diverse sources. In [3], the limits of physics-based and deep learning tools …

Health Management Practices In Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review Protocol, Davina Sharma, Shané J. Gill, Lizbeth Goodman, Amanda Rabinowitz, Louis N. Hunter, Reinhard Schaler, Kirby L. Wycoff

College of Health Professions Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Traumatic brain injury is increasingly recognized as a chronic condition requiring long-term rehabilitation and coordinated care beyond the acute phase. Across Europe, substantial variation exists in healthcare system organization, funding structures, and service delivery models, which may influence access to rehabilitation and long-term functional outcomes for adults with chronic moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury. The objective of this scoping review protocol is to systematically characterize systemic factors and management practices that shape rehabilitation access, continuity of care, and recovery outcomes across European healthcare systems. This review will map published evidence on health management practices influencing chronic traumatic brain injury rehabilitation …

Envisioning Munster Technological University As A Trauma-Sensitive University, Marie Singleton Ms, Margaret Linehan Prof, Judith Butler

Irish Journal of Academic Practice

Universities seeking to provide effective support to students should incorporate trauma-sensitive approaches to ensure services are delivered with empathy and compassion while reducing the risk of re-traumatisation. The main objective of this study was to investigate what it means to be a trauma-sensitive university and what steps are required to achieve this. The study focused on Munster Technological University (MTU) as a qualitative case study and identifies what is required to make MTU the first trauma-sensitive university in Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff across the university's six campuses. Given the limited research examining how trauma-sensitive principles can be …

English For Speakers Of Other Languages Program: Compliance Vs Realities Of Practice, Ana Sofia Rodriguez-Oronoz

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This research study examined the misalignment between policy compliance and instructional practice within English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) programs in K–12 public education. Although federal and state mandates require equitable access and services for English language learners (ELLs), compliance with these requirements has not consistently resulted in effective classroom practice. The problem of practice focused on how educators interpreted and enacted ESOL policies and the extent to which these practices aligned with the intent of the Multicultural Education, Training, and Advocacy (META) Consent Decree and related accountability frameworks.

A qualitative research design was used to explore educators’ perceptions …

Post & Lintel, 2025-2026 Edition, Preservation Eastern

Post & Lintel

No abstract provided.

Data Walks That Drive Results: Using Data To Build Impact, Jenrose Fittzgerald, Sara Mohamed, Kameke Payne

Center for Social Development Research

Urban Strategies, Inc. (USI), works to ensure that every family served is stable, thriving, and progressing across six impact areas: Family and Housing Stability, Education and Careers, Economic Contribution, Health and Wellness, Civic and Community Engagement, and Community Partnerships. Because USI employs over 200 staff members spread across more than 60 community sites, coordinating data to understand impact is both critical to advancing the organization’s work and a challenge. To address this, USI has developed a performance-measurement approach that brings everyone at the organization into the work and builds a sense of ownership at every level: quarterly data walks. This …

An Evaluation Of The Leader In Me Program’S Influence On Time And Project Management In Secondary Pbl Classrooms, Tiffany L. Brandenburg

Education Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods evaluation examined the implementation of the Leader in Me (LIM) framework and its relationship to secondary students’ time and project management skills within project-based learning (PBL) environments. Conducted across Grades 6–12 in a public charter school district, the study analyzed teacher surveys, student reflections, classroom observations, and Measurable Results Assessment (MRA) data to evaluate perceptions and implementation patterns related to student self-management practices. Findings indicated variability in LIM implementation across classrooms and inconsistencies in how leadership and organizational practices were integrated into daily instruction. Teachers frequently reported challenges related to students’ planning, prioritization, and task management skills, while …

Quality Improvement Project The Impact Of The Interact “Stop And Watch Tool” In A Skilled Nursing Facility, Lorraine Hicks

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Avoidable hospitalizations from skilled nursing facilities (SNF) contribute to increased healthcare costs, resident distress, and adverse health outcomes. Many readmissions result from delays in identifying and communicating early signs of resident deterioration. The purpose of this project was to implement an evidence-based intervention to recognize early changes in residents’ conditions, empower nursing staff to detect and promptly communicate concerns, and impact 30-day hospital readmission rates. Problems identified included delayed recognition of early changes in residents’ conditions, fragmented staff communication, and the absence of standardized reporting practices, which were associated with preventable hospital readmissions. A quasi-experimental pre-/post-intervention design guided by Jean …

The Other Side Of Peruvian Private Pension System, Paolo Daniel Jara

Journal of New Finance

Between 2020 and 2025, Peru's Congress authorized eight extraordinary withdrawal rounds from the Private Pension System (SPP), liquidating USD 38 billion. This paper argues that the trajectory is the empirical convergence of two analytically distinct failures. The first, from below, reflects the mismatch between the system's behavioral assumptions and a heterogeneous, predominantly informal workforce. The second, from above, reflects short-cycle electoral incentives, institutional asymmetry between Congress and the regulator, and slippery-slope dynamics. The paper proposes a reform combining free disposal of pension funds with individual fiscal responsibility, mediated by a binding waiver of the state-funded solidarity pension.

Skill-Based Occupational Connectivity And Local Labor Market Development, Xiaoyin Li, David H. Nason, Heather M. Stephens

Regional Research Institute Working Papers

Recent decades have witnessed significant economic transitions that have disrupted traditional economic activities and reshaped the labor force. Occupational connectivity, which captures how easily workers transition to other growing occupations, may be an important factor for local labor market resilience and development. Using county employment shares and a skill-based occupational matching matrix built upon O*NET data, this study explores how occupational connectivity affects local labor market outcomes. Our findings suggest that counties with higher levels of occupational connectivity are associated with better labor market outcomes and more stable population dynamics, even after accounting for local industry mix. These results highlight …

Second Amended Plan

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

Microglial Swell1 Deficiency Drives Male-Specific Seizure Vulnerability But Paradoxical Neuroprotection Through Impaired Phagocytosis, Abhijeet S Barath, Aastha Dheer, Laura Montier, Mekenzie M Peshoff, Emily Dale, Flavia Goche, Thanh Thanh Le Nguyen, Mastura Akter, Fangfang Qi, Dimitrios Kleidonas, Lauren Harris, Sarah A Jewanee, Anthony D Umpierre, Dale B Bosco, Koichiro Haruwaka, Rajan Sah, Long-Jun Wu, Rongzhuo Hua, Tejaswani Datla

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

The discovery of genes encoding the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) has enabled detailed exploration of its cell type-specific roles in the brain. LRRC8A (SWELL1) is the essential VRAC subunit. We observed seizure-induced, subunit-specific changes in microglial VRAC expression and investigated its function using conditional KO (cKO) of LRRC8A in microglia. SWELL1 cKO mice exhibited a male-specific increase in kainate-induced seizure severity, yet showed paradoxical neuroprotection against seizure-associated neuronal loss. Mechanistically, SWELL1 deletion led to a cell-autonomous reduction in microglial density and decreased release of VRAC-permeable neuroactive metabolites, including taurine, GABA, and glutamate in culture. Additionally, impaired phagocytic kinetics and reduced …

Enhancing Teaching Effectiveness Through Professional Development For Part-Time Nursing Faculty, Amanda Moss

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Part-time nursing faculty play a vital role in nursing education; however, many institutions lack standardized professional development opportunities for part-time faculty, resulting in inconsistent preparation and teaching practices. This Doctor of Nursing Practice policy change project examined whether revising an institutional professional development policy to include part-time faculty and implementing a structured faculty development program would improve faculty preparedness, confidence, and comfort with evidence-based teaching practices and instructional strategies that support ACEN faculty development expectations. Guided by the Iowa Model–Revised of Evidence-Based Practice, Kotter’s Organizational Change Theory, and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework, this quantitative policy change project was conducted over …

Characterizing The Relationships Between Hydrology, Soil Biogeochemistry, And Green Ash Canopy Structure In Emerald Ash Borer-Affected Wetlands, Eva Switala

Theses

The invasion of the emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis) has caused mass mortality of native ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), devastating forested wetlands in the northeastern United States. Fifteen years post-introduction, the long-term ecological shifts and "new normals" of these ecosystems remain poorly understood. This project characterized patterns in EAB-affected forested wetlands by evaluating soil characteristics, biogeochemical cycling, hydrology, and green ash canopy across 12 sites with varying initial ash presence. Results revealed a clear separation between biogeochemically active and less active sites. Hydrologic differences emerged as a key driver of biogeochemical cycling, with higher soil moisture significantly increasing rates …

The Effect Of Aquatic Pollution On (Green) Microbial Communities In The Greater Rochester Area, Francesca Molee

Theses

Retention ponds are built in urban and suburban areas to catch the polluted runoff that would otherwise go into highly-valued freshwater ecosystems like the Great Lakes. They therefore make ideal model ecosystems to consider the effect of chemical, common pollution on aquatic communities. To understand the impact this aquatic pollution on both microbial community composition alongside green microbial physiological stress response, water column and sediment microbial communities were sampled from three retention ponds, and three non-retention, created ponds. The first part of this study focused on the microbial community composition. Using 16s amplicon sequencing on and subsequent analysis using Qiime2, …

An Inf2-Dependent Actin-Mediated Step In Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor Cluster Formation And Activity, Maite R. Zavala, Amrapali Ghosh, Suresh K. Joseph, Rajarshi Chakrabarti

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Intracellular calcium signaling plays a vital role in regulating various cellular processes including gene regulation, motility, metabolism, and cell death. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are a major cation channel that regulates stimulus-induced calcium release from the ER. While several molecular players regulate the activity of IP3R, its regulation by actin filaments was uncharacterized. Here, we show that actin filaments polymerized by the specific actin nucleator INF2 facilitate agonist-induced IP3R activity. Our results demonstrate that INF2-mediated actin filaments regulate the formation and/or stability of IP3R clusters on the ER that have been previously shown to be …

Lawanda House Johnson V. Quest Diagnostics Inc

2026 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Toolkit For Multistate Disease Progression Simulation And Treatment Decision-Making Aid, Can Xie, Ruosha Li, Wael Saber, Jorge E Cortes, Nicholas J Short, Xuelin Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The optimal timing of a treatment within therapy lines can maximize its benefit while minimizing risks and side effects. Because patients differ in clinical and biological characteristics, personalized treatment planning can support physicians' decision-making. However, multistate disease progression complicates the comparison of treatment strategies, motivating the development of a user-friendly web tool for multistate disease progression simulation and treatment decision support. Microsimulation is a natural approach for comparing prespecified treatment-timing strategies, where it generates disease trajectories for a large number of virtual patients matched to an individual patient's observed data. In our framework, microsimulation is performed using a multistate …

Quantitative Genetic Analysis Of Baboon Facial Variation Challenges A Classic Papionin Trait, A. Thiebaut, C. C. Roseman, Michael Mahaney, Leslea J. Hlusko

Human Genetics Publications

The Linnaean family of monkeys that includes baboons, macaques, and mandrills (among others) is notably characterized by large, extended muzzles that vary in lateral nasal dorsum profile. In paleontological studies, this variation is referred to as the anteorbital drop (AOD). Here, we first devise a method to quantify this phylogenetic character. We then employ quantitative genetic analyses using a MCMCglmm model of facial variation in a captive, pedigreed baboon colony (n = 934), including admixed individuals derived from at least two Papio species, from the Southwest National Primate Research Center to assess the quantitative variation of the AOD, its …

Re: Conditional Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Clark Tailings Consolidated Waste Management Area (Ctcwma) Site Investigation Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) (Dated June 1, 2026), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

An Ai Perspective On Counseling Supervision, Emily A. Brinck, James L. Soldner, Hung Jen Kuo, Scott A. Sabella, Trenton J. Landon, Charles P. Bernacchio, Elizabeth A. Boland

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

The increased use of technology-assisted distance counseling practices is one result of COVID’s impact on behavioral health, including in counselor education and the delivery of supervision. First, technology-assisted distance supervision needed for “real time” communication grew. Furthermore, there is an emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that have the potential to contribute to aspects of supervision; however, current evidence remains emerging, context-dependent, and at times mixed, warranting cautious interpretation of their effectiveness. The article offers an overview of using AI in clinical supervision, examines the benefits and potential concerns of AI from different perspectives, and considers the significance of using …

Wangdu V. Kengmeni

All Decisions

In this civil action by a former landlord against former tenants for use and occupancy, the court reduced the judgment to account for the tenants' warranty of habitability counterclaim, finding that the basement of the single-family rental was uninhabitable for a significant period of time.

Enhancing Sleep Quality Through Sleep Hygiene Education Among Adults In A Faith-Based Community, Denielle Earle-Thompson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background

Adults between 18 and 64 years of age require at least seven hours of sleep per night; however, many adults do not meet this recommendation, contributing to increased risks for chronic disease, impaired functioning, mood disturbances, and reduced quality of life. Poor sleep quality has been associated with weakened immunity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression, and decreased daytime performance. Obtaining adequate, good-quality sleep is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being. In faith-based communities, combining health education with spiritual support may provide a holistic approach that addresses both physical and emotional contributors to poor sleep.

Purpose

The purpose …

Single Mothers: What Utahns Need To Know, Brie Sparks, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Single mothers represent a significant and growing share of families in Utah and across the United States, yet they face distinct structural, economic, and social challenges that impact both family well-being and broader community outcomes. While single mothers play a critical role as primary caregivers and contributors to the workforce, data show that they are disproportionately affected by poverty, barriers to education, employment instability, and mental health challenges. At the same time, research has found that when systems, policies, and communities effectively support parents raising children alone, outcomes improve for families as well as for the long-term strength of the …

Market Channel Preferences And Influencing Factors In The Traditional Rice Enterprise In Abra, Philippines, Kae Ann Marie P. Balingit

Journal of Management for Global Sustainability

This study examines the market channel preferences of traditional rice farmers and traders in Abra, Philippines, and identifies the socio-economic, institutional, and production factors influencing these choices. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 139 respondents through surveys and 52 qualitative interviews. Logistic regression and thematic analysis were employed to explain market behavior. Results show a strong preference for informal, direct-to-consumer channels, driven by immediate cash needs, low transaction costs, and institutional constraints. Production experience and farm scale increase the likelihood of participation in structured markets, while higher production frequency reduces it due to timing and market absorption limitations. …

Full Issue, Iajbs Ateneo De Manila University

Journal of Management for Global Sustainability

No abstract provided.